


I Adore All Glitt'rin' Gold

by JQ (musicmillennia)



Series: Fathoms Below [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Big Brother Len, Gen, Sibling Bonding, Singing, Sirens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:12:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6023173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/JQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lewis is a lousy teacher, so Lenny takes it upon himself to teach his baby sister how to really sing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Adore All Glitt'rin' Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [languageismymistress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/languageismymistress/gifts).



> For the bae, because she made me not just one, but FOUR image sets for ideas we made together. This one is based off the fourth one in that set; you can find it on our tumblrs. (If you have trouble, my tumblr has it under the tag "bae").
> 
> The cover I'm linking you in this is one of my favorites. Lisa sounds a bit different, but you'll get the gist I'm sure :D I hope you like it!
> 
> EDIT: omg okay I put the link in there ffs i'm so sorry for being a potato

Lisa Snart is sixteen years old. Summer air carries the sea’s familiar salt to her on a gentle breeze. It’s nearly midnight, and the waves are caressed by a luminous full moon and twinkling stars. Perfect for singing.

She glides to a small cluster of rocks near a sandbar, where her brother awaits. Leonard Snart is twenty-three. Like her, he didn’t bother with too many clothes, opting for a simple pair of jeans and nothing else. For her part, she decided sweat pants were a smarter choice.

Less than a handful of fishing boats sail quietly across the calm waters, but they don’t see the sirens lying in wait. As always, Lenny picked a prime spot, out in the open but easy to blend into once they’re waist deep on the water, wings folded carefully behind their backs.

Lisa sighs in contentment as she sinks, toes burying themselves in the sand. A couple fish tickle her legs as if to say hello.

“Ready, sis?” Lenny asks, like the answer isn’t obvious.

Lisa sends him a devious grin. “Teach me how to sink ships, big brother.”

Their dad is a deplorable teacher, and not just because his preferred methods are beating his student until she somehow figures it out on her own. He’s one of the only sirens in the world whose vocal chords have roughened and withered; he’s lucky if he can get one unsuspecting sailor in a month. But Lenny, he’s got a self-trained voice that’s come to be notorious among humans. She might be biased, but Lisa’s sure she’s never heard a voice like her brother’s.

So here they are, sneaking out like thieves in the night.

Lenny smirks, as eager to teach as she is to learn. He puts two fingers to her throat, and another hand on her abdomen. “First: focus on breathing through here,” patting her stomach, “and feeling your voice here,” pressing gently against her larynx. “Don’t think about the targets themselves. Do that and your attention is divided between the song and them. You’re just singing to me, understand?” Lisa nods. “Now, I want you to yawn.”

Lisa snickers, “What?”

“Just do it.”

“…okay.” She yawns. He yawns by association, which makes her laugh all the more.

“Feel that space open in the back of your mouth? Open that space voluntarily when you sing. If you get vibrations here,” tapping her nose and cheeks, making her giggle, “you’re doing it right. We’re starting with simple projection in your default range, so don’t try anything fancy yet.”

“Aw,” Lisa pouts, “when are we gonna get to the cool stuff, Lenny?”

Lenny gives her an indulgent look. “Don’t worry, sis, it shouldn’t be too long. You memorize the song I gave you?” when she vigorously nods, “I’ll let you start with one verse, then I’ll harmonize with you, give you an example baseline for starting volume if you need one.”

Lisa scoffs, “Diving right into the deep end, are we?”

Her brother smirks. “I’m sure you’ll be a natural.”

[The song Lenny chose is a simple sea shanty](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62vASKOOhQ), because he is an absolute dork who can’t breathe without making a pun. Yet Lisa will say that his version is slowed down and flowing, absolutely gorgeous.

Lisa takes a deep breath. Lenny runs a hand over the back of her wing. She can do this.

Her voice cracks on the first line. A frustrated noise escapes her, cheeks burning with shame.

“Relax,” Lenny reminds her, “remember: you’re just singing with me. Okay?”

Lisa rolls her shoulders, flexing her wings. “Okay…” she swallows, hating how nervous she is. “Can I…” she raises her hands.

He inclines his head. Guides her hands to his abdomen, presses two of her fingers to his throat. Lisa feels his larynx flex in a flawless change of registers. A sharp spike of envy cuts through her chest.

“Better?” he murmurs.

“I think so.”

Lenny’s eyes narrow. “Lisa. I’ve heard you sing on your own. You are fully capable of doing this.”

Lisa breathes a soft laugh. “Thanks, Lenny.” She takes another deep breath, willing her nerves to settle.

Grounding herself on the feeling of her brother’s cool hands encompassing her wrists, she locks eyes with him and breathes through her abdomen.

_“Oh, the rain it rains, all’n day long,  
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley…”_

Her voice is terribly small, like a shy fledgling. She winces, hanging her head.

“Keep going,” Lenny softly orders. “You’re just anxious, Lisa. Come on.”

Lisa gulps.

 _“_ And _…and the northern winds, they blow so strong,  
Bold Riley-o has gone away.”_

She dares to peek at Lenny. He nods.

 _“_ Good— _goodbye my sweetheart,_  
goodbye my dear-o,  
Bold Riley-o, Bold Riley…”

Fuck, she has to be messing up, she’s too _quiet,_ too—Lenny tightens his grip on her wrists.

Come on, Lisa. You can do this. You can fucking _do this_.

 _“Goodbye my darlin’,_  
goodbye my dear-o,  
Bold Riley-o has gone away…”

Thank God. It’s Lenny cue. His muscles flex under her fingers, voice vibrating in his throat as he harmonizes beneath her. Doesn’t matter which register he’s singing in; he croons the notes so effortlessly, it’s as if the sea herself follows his rhythm.

With his underlying harmonies as an anchor, Lisa finds her footing at last. Gradually, he coaxes her to higher volumes, until their voices echo through the night together. Lisa flushes with excited triumph, grinning with childish wonder. She never knew she could project this loud.

Her brother takes both of her hands in his, helping her back onto the rocks. She doesn’t know why until they sing their final notes and splashing noises gain her attention.

She gasps when she finds a bunch of adoring captains swimming desperately towards her and Lenny. Lenny, who presses a kiss to her temple and tells her, “An excellent start, little sister.”

Lisa bursts into a fit of astonished laughter. The siblings leave their hapless victims treading water, holding hands as they fly.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
